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Law on Playing Poker at Home

Playing poker at home is quite convenient and the fun can be more than what we can have in casinos. But the law has something to warn home poker players about, especially those in the State of Alaska.

The law on playing poker at home is that the game should be purely for leisure and nothing of the type that casinos have. Home poker should be a social game where minimum betting is involved among players and the following are not present: casino player, casino bank, casino odds, and no casino income.

A casino player is one who represents the casino in the game. That will be the dealer. A dealer plays for the casino and wins for it. With the representation of the dealer, the other players really play against the house when they play against the dealer. The dealer is always a poker expert. With this scenario, a poker game becomes unlawful gambling in Alaska and thus illegal. It falls under what the Alaska Criminal Law calls an offense against decency.

A casino bank is where people exchange money for poker chips, and vice versa. Anything with this arrangement becomes part of unlawful gambling. In fact, when poker is played with too many formal frameworks and begins to function very much like a casino, it may fall under the same heading as unlawful gambling.

Casino odds are the chances of the casino winning against players. And such odds are often high that guest players tend to be too marginalized at times. With poker players disadvantaged in this way, poker becomes unlawful. Alaskan law on playing poker wants players to wager against each other and no third and powerful party comes in between them through a casino representative dealer.

Casino income is what the house rakes in as profits from the losses of poker players and other gamblers. With this set up it is felt that poker players and gamblers lose money more than is necessary in gambling. It is also due to casino income that gambling becomes a business. Hence, it becomes subject to the Wire Act Law.

Social poker or social gambling is a past-time of leisurely game in homes with or without betting. If it comes with betting, it should be among players only so that betting is minimal. And the nature of it all is temporary. Social poker is not habit-forming but is confined to special home occasions.

The law on playing poker at home is meant to keep the game strictly leisurely.